Year In Review

Together We Have Achieved Much During the Past 12 Months While Facing Historic Challenges

Fighting for Your Rights and Your Business

• Represented the interests of our industry through service on the Governor’s

Economic Advisory Council and associated subcommittees.

• Filed suit in federal court against the

State of Oregon for ongoing inequitable treatment of hospitality businesses.

Although unsuccessful, we secured outdoor dining across Oregon in early December for restaurants during the effort.

• Partnered with our national affiliates to secure two rounds of Payroll Protection

Program dollars with round two including 3.5 times monthly payroll exclusively for hospitality businesses.

• Secured statewide caps on third party delivery fees paid by restaurants at one of the lowest rates in the nation.

• Successfully advocated for changes to Oregon’s ‘extreme risk’ category to get indoor pools, hot tubs, and spas open.

• Launched a full-scale campaign with media resulting in scores of tv, print and radio interviews amplifying the stories of lodging establishments and restaurants.

• Led the statewide effort to secure over $55 million in grants for small businesses with an emphasis on Oregon hospitality.

• Secured a 2-week buffer for restaurants when opening back up indoor operations after adhering to restrictions in the ‘extreme risk’ category.

• Partnered with OLCC to create flexible license payment plans, flexible outdoor alcohol service areas, and secure support for

To-Go Cocktails.

• Supported and testified in favor of SB 1701, which passed, allowing flexibility for employees to pick up shifts without sacrificing unemployment insurance benefits when working part-time.

• Launched a campaign to support HB 3177 and help bring equity to the business sector during the state of emergency related to

Covid-19.

• Advocating for an extension of previously secured moratoriums for commercial rent and mortgages into 2021.

• Led efforts to get Oregon’s Video Lottery

Terminals (VLTs) turned back on in the

‘extreme risk’ category.

• Fighting for permanent repeal of Oregon’s flawed ‘scheduling law’ regulation.

• Partnered with organizations in the beer industry to request tax relief for struggling craft brewers.

• Successfully pushed curfew restrictions back from 10pm to 11pm or Midnight depending on risk category. Work continues to remove the arbitrary curfew regulation entirely.

• Eliminated the possibility of penalties for underestimated payments or for not making quarterly payments for the Corporate

Activities Tax.

• Negotiated with Oregon Tourism

Information for deferred payment plans for highway signage.

• Campaigned to protect the 70/30 split for local lodging tax spending.

• Partnered with the National Restaurant

Association Educational Foundation to help establish the Restaurant Employee Relief

Fund (RERF) to provide grants to more than 43,000 restaurant workers.

• Partnered with the National Restaurant Association in successfully pursuing a change in the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) so restaurants can now receive up to $19,000 per eligible employee in ERTC across 2020 and 2021.

• Partnered with the National Restaurant

Association to help pass the Restaurant

Revitalization Fund, a $28.6 billion relief fund part of Biden’s American Rescue Plan that will provide grants across the country to restaurants.

• Partnered with the National Restaurant

Association in successfully pursuing a change in the Employee Retention Tax

Credit (ERTC) so restaurants can now receive up to $19,000 per eligible employee in ERTC across 2020 and 2021.

Calling Out Inequitable Treatment of Your Small Business

• Successfully removed requirements to have restaurant operators track the movements of their customers.

• Coordinated partnerships between lodging operators and local governments to prevent any efforts to commandeer private property for public health emergency shelter needs.

• Promoted the importance of increased flexibility for tents and canopies to make outdoor seating capacity for restaurants more practical.

• Challenging arbitrary guidelines based on total people indoors without consideration given to square footage available for dining and event space.

Launching More Group Deals to Help Protect Your Limited Margins

• Announced historic 21% discount on SAIF workers comp premiums for the ORLA

Group – the best deal in the entire state for restaurants and hotels.

• Keeping music licensing headaches at bay with multiyear discounts from 10-20%.

• Maintaining insurance and industry equipment and service agreements with partners including United Healthcare,

Liberty Mutual, Dell Technologies, Clover,

GNSA and Office Depot.

• Launching flat rate pricing for credit card processing – Flat rate 2.3% + .05 or cost plus option.

• Established a Legal Defense Fund for operators interested in pushing back against industry regulations.

• Partnered with The Oregonian | Oregon

Live to offer new members their choice of complimentary sponsored content or a montage video package highlighting their restaurant or hotel.

Promoting the Industry to Defend Your Business

• Expanded the purpose of the Oregon

Hospitality Foundation (OHF) enabling

ORLA’s 501 c(3) charitable arm to provide hospitality relief funds to operators feeding frontline workers and those with food insecurity. Funding has provided over 11,500 meals to date.

• Launched ORLA Commitment to Safety

Checklists and decals for members to show guests their commitment to ‘best in class’ operational standards.

• Created Oregon2Go.com to amplify takeout and delivery options from foodservice operations across the state.

• Partnered with the National Restaurant

Association for the Great American Takeout campaign promoting takeout business.

• Supported OHF’s Takeout & A Movie

Series, raising money for the Hospitality

Help Fund and promoting takeout business.

• Partnered with Regence for “Takeout

Tuesday” to showcase examples of what friends to the restaurant industry can do to make a true difference for both the industry and the people we serve.

• Hosted ‘Elected Leader Listening Sessions’ to get your voice heard by lawmakers.

• Developed consumer-facing lodging and restaurant policy templates for service animal challenges.

• Participated in and promoted cleanups in downtown Portland and the Coast in partnership with SOLVE Oregon and the

Portland Business Alliance.

• Helped coordinate solution-driven communications, connecting resources between the industry and the emergency/ utility partners: –Wildfires: food for firefighters, shelter for displaced communities –Power outages: food and lodging for

PGE workers –Food insecurity: food deliveries to those in need by Regence

Advancing Educational Opportunities to Improve Your Business

• Launched the Oregon Hospitality

Foundation’s COVID-times guest service video course “Providing Service While

Supporting Safety” for restaurants and lodging establishments in both English and

Spanish.

• Created guidance and FAQs relating to

COVID-19 and food safety for takeout and selling bulk or raw goods.

• Developed partnership with Oregon’s Small

Business Development Center (SBDC)

Network to launch a no-cost, one-on-one advisor network, Oregon Restaurant Covid

Assistance (ORCA) program.

• Launched dozens of industry webinars on key topics, answering questions and highlighting best practices. • Launched the Oregon Tourism Leadership

Academy program, cultivating leaders to make positive and lasting contributions to the state’s tourism economy.

• Developed the ORLA Live virtual conference specifically for Oregon

Hospitality.

Elevating the Industry and Your Business by Doubling Down on Communication

• Mobilized industry members through text alerts and email campaigns to take action on issues important to the viability of our industry.

• Aggregated information and intelligence to help you navigate our new reality with comprehensive resources online at

OregonRLA.org.

• Hosted over 20 Virtual Town Halls across the state to share the latest industry and political intelligence.

• Escalating the momentum of press releases and announcements to keep the press, public and lawmakers abreast of the realities the hospitality industry continues to face.

• Maintained continuity of printing and mailing the ORLA magazine focused on providing industry resources and highlighting best practices during the pandemic.

• Informed the industry of local, state and federal activity through email alerts and announcements and the member-only

Insider e-newsletter.

• Created a digital forum to keep industry members abreast of ORLA activity via the

CEO Blog and video series.

Stay informed and engaged with your association at OregonRLA.org.  OREGON